Flush pedal-door for player-pianos.



G. D. KANOUSB.

FLUSH PEDAL DOOR FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1910.

997, Patented July 4, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l,

G. D. KANOUSE.

PLUSH PEDAL DOOB FOR PLAYER PIANOS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 24, 1910.

997,1 97', Patented Jui 4, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

{if :7 3 I a 1'; Fig.3. l 1'1 I l lo 21 i H l I /I 5] r witnesses Moe ozClark D. Kanouse COLUMBIA I'LANOGRAPII C0,, WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARK D. KANOUSE, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO STARR PIANO COMPANY,OF RICHMOND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

FLUSH PEDAL-DOOR FOR PLAYER-PIANOS.

Application filed August 24, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARK D. KANoUsn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Richmond, in the county of Vayne and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Flush Pedal-Door for Player-Pianos, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a flush closing panel for thepedal opening of player pianos, the construction being such that theclosing door or panel may be readily operated by means of an easilyaccessible lever.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of a player piano equippedwith my invention; Fig. 2 an enlarged vertical section of the removablefront board equipped with my improved closing device; Fig. 3 a similarView on a smaller scale showing the door retracted into position to beelevated away from the pedal opening, and Fig. 1 a fragmentary innerelevation.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a usual and ordinary front board of apiano, said board being of any desired form and being readily removableas a whole in any ordinary way. The board 10 is provided at the middleof its lower edge with a pedal opening 11 which is to be closed by apanel or plate 12 which, in the form shown, is formed so that itsexposed face will, when in position, come flush with the exposed face ofthe board 10, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Secured in suitablebrackets 13 on the inner face of board 10 are two parallel verticalguide rods 14, 1 1 which lie alongside the vertical sides of opening 11.Secured to the inner face of plate 12 near each upper corner is abracket 15 to which is pivoted the upper end of a link 16 the lower endof which is turned outwardly to form a foot 17 which is perforated so asto loosely receive and slide upon bar 1 1. Secured to the inner face ofplate 12 near each lower corner is a bracket 18 to which is pivoted thelower end of a link 19 the upper end of which is turned outwardly toform a foot 21 which is perforated to loosely receive and slide upon rodlt. The two links 16 and 19 are pivotally connected together by a medialpivot 22. In its lower position foot 17 of each link 16 rests upon theadjacent bracket 13 and the connection between Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented July 4, 1911.

Serial No. 578,777.

the lower end of link 19 and its bracket 18 is capable of a slightlongitudinal yield. This slight yield between each link 19 and itsbracket 18, longitudinally of the link 19, is necessary in order topermit the slight springing of the toggle 1619, which is necessary inorder to permit the panel to move substantially at right angles out ofthe plane of the front board.

Secured to the inner face of plate 12 is a yoke 25 which forms avertical guide and limit for the end of a lever 26 which is pivoted at27 to the inner face of board 10. Lever 26 is adapted to enter and playwithin a cam slot 28 formed in a board 29 secured to the inner face ofboard 10, the slot 28 forming a continuation for a straight cam surfaceor edge 31 formed by the free edge of board 29. Connected to link 26 isone end of a link 32 the opposite end being connected to one arm of abell-crank lever 33 pivoted at 34 upon the inner face of board 10.Connected to the opposite arm of bell-crank lever 33 is a link which, inturn, is pivoted to the inner end of a lever 36 pivoted to a bracket 37secured to the upper edge of board 10, the lever 36 being extendedhorizontally to a point near the front edge of a key bed 38.

Vith the parts in position as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the operationis as follows: Lever 36 is swung so as to drive levers 32, 33 and in thedirections indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. This lifts lever 26 andits first movement causes it to slide vertically freely in yoke 25 butto be itself displaced inwardly by cam slot 28 so as to draw plate 12inwardly to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. Continued upwardmovement of lever 26 will then raise the plate 12 vertically to theposition shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, thus leaving the opening 11entirely unobstructed so that the pedal mechanisms 41 may be projectedtherethrough.

I claim 1. The combination, with a front board having a pedal openingtherethrough, of a panel for closing said opening, supports for saidpanel for initial movement thereof along a line substantially at rightangles to the plane of the board, and also for subsequent movementthereof bodily at an angle to the first movement, and a single operatingmember for engaging and shifting said panel successively in bothdirections, the said several parts being mounted upon and bodilyremovable with the front board.

2. The combination, with a front board having a pedal openingtherethrough, of a panel for closing said opening, supports for saidpanel for initial movement thereof along a line substantially at rightangles to the plane of the board, and also for subsequent movementthereof bodily at an angle to the first movement, and a single operatingmember for engaging and shifting said panel successively in bothdirections.

3. The combination, with a front board having a pedal openingtherethrough, of a panel in the plane of the front board for closingsaid opening, a vertical guide arranged adjacent said opening to therear thereof, a pair of pivotally-connected levers connected to andsupporting said panel and slidably mounted on said guide, an operatingmember engaging said panel, and a con trolling member for said operatingmember whereby the initial movement of said operating member will causemovement of the panel to a position outside of the plane of the frontboard and subsequent movement of the operating member will shift thepanel longitudinally of the guide.

e. The combination, with a front board having a pedal openingtherethrough, of a pair of guide rods mounted upon the inner face of thefront board adjacent the pedal opening, a panel for closing said pedalopening, two pairs of pivotally-connected levers mounted upon the innerface of said panel and each pair slidably mounted upon a guide rod, anoperating member engaging said panel mounted upon the inner face of thefront board, a cam mounted upon the inner face of the front board andarranged to engage the operating member to move the same laterallyduring transverse movement, and a horizontally extending lever carriedby the front board and extending forwardly and connected with theoperating member.

5. The'combination, with a front board having a pedal openingtherethrough, of a pair of guide rods mounted upon the inner face of thepedal board adjacent the front opening, a panel for closing said pedalopening, two pairs of pivotally-connected levers mounted upon the innerface of said panel and each pair slidably mounted upon a guide rod, anoperating member engaging said panel, a cam arranged to engage theoperating member to move the same laterally during transverse movement,and a horizontally extending lever extending forwardly and connectedwith the operating member.

6. The combination, with a pedal board having a front openingtherethrough, of a pair of guide rods mounted upon the inner face of thefront board adjacent the pedal opening, a panel for closing said pedalopening, two pairs of pivotally-connected levers mounted upon the innerface of said panel and each pair slidably mounted upon the guide rod, anoperating member engaging said panel mounted upon the inner face of thefront board, and a. cam mounted upon the inner face of the front boardand arranged to engage the operating member to move the same laterallyduring transverse movement.

7. The combination, with a pedal board having a front openingtherethrough, of a pair of guide rods mounted upon the inner face of thepedal board adjacent the front opening, a panel for closing said pedalopening, two pairs of pivotally-connected levers mounted upon the innerface of said panel and each pair slidably mounted upon the guide rod, anoperating member engaging said panel and a cam arranged to engage theoperating member to move the same laterally during transverse movement.

In witness whereof, I, CLARK D. li aNoUsn have hereunto set my hand andseal at Richmond, Indiana, this 13th day of August, A. D. one thousandnine hundred and ten.

CLARK D. KANOUSE. [11. s.] lVitnesses FRANCIS N. DRAPER, ARNOLD E.PFEIFFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

